 | Blogs > I_Am_1_Rib_Short > Gary's musings > This Old House |
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Written by my daughter just before she moved, over this past July long week-end. "Several months ago,my husband tried to warn me that I would be emotional upon leaving the rental house we have lived in for the past 7 1/2 years. I scoffed, saying that I would walk out the door and never look back. As I lay in bed that night, I thought about what he said, and ridiculously began to cry. "When we got married, it made sense for us to live in the dumpy quarters that my husband was already renting. So his roommate got kicked out, and in I came. It was supposed to be a temporary situation: I was to teach while he finished his degree, and then we would buy a place of our own. Well, life never turns out as expected; meanderings along the way included drastic career changes for both of us. He finished the Computer Information Systems degree and started a construction company. I quit teaching to have babies. Every year we thought: this is the year we will buy, and every year something else came up, or we just couldn't do it financially. "From the road our 900 square foot house looks like a drug den. We have mice and dust and mold, a leaky roof, rats in the garage, farmers spraying toxic junk on the raspberry fields behind us, and so few electrical outlets that our house is a maze of extension cords. But the rent is very low and the property is conducive to all of my husband's work paraphernalia. My husband did quite a bit of work to make it more livable, but it is still embarrassing to invite guests over, and we have never lost that grungy feeling. "We have grumbled and complained thousands of times. We have loathed the house. There have been days that we have felt like we were caged birds. "That is why I thought I could just walk away. But the time has finally come, and I am now surrounded by boxes. We have bought a place, more than three times the size of this one, and we move at the end of the week. "Ironically, I am feeling mournful. I actually find myself wanting to hold onto this house, for it holds so many memories. "If you stand on the back porch in the evening, you can witness the most incredible B.C. sunsets. It was there during a beautiful fall sunset that my husband proposed to me. We spent our wedding night and the first days of our marriage here. Our babies were conceived here. I soaked my swollen pregnant body in the tiny bathtub and watched my babies as they rolled around in my belly when I was in water. I brought my babies home from the hospital to this house. "If I look out the front window, I can see the spot on the lawn where my beloved dog, and my then 2 year old son's best friend, Sasha, collapsed and died, I can also see the grove of trees under which she is buried. We spent hours taking walks in the raspberry fields with Sacha. It was what she loved the most. "My husband and I have fought here, we have laughed here, and we started our family here. I have cried buckets full of tears in the house. Every room hold memories "But I think the hardest room for me to leave will be the nursery. The rocking chair sits in the middle of the nursery. I have rocked and nursed my babies for hours and hours in that room. I have stood beside the crib, patting their backs as they fell asleep. And every night before I have gone to bed, I have slipped in quietly to check on them, to cover them with a blanket, to make sure their blankies were close by, and to just watch them sleep., so precious. There have been tough nights in that room, too, when I have spent hours trying to soothe a sick or teething baby. Nights where I have slept on a mattress on the floor, to try to comfort them with my nearness. "I know that the tears will fall as I say goodbye to that room. My children are such a gift. They have stripped away so much of my selfishness and pride. The have taught me so much about love, and patience. "And so, instead of being the house that I thought I would try to forget, it will always be a part of our family history. My husband lived here while we dated so our entire history together began here. It will never lose its importance as our family's first home. We have learned to be more humble, more flexible, more resourceful and less judgmental by living here. Living in a small place brought the best and the worst of us to the surface. Certainly it has force us to deal with issues which would not have arisen had we had more space to get away from each other! "I know that every now and the, we will drive down Columbia Street, and excitedly point out the house to our children, and say 'Look there it is - our very first house! That's where you lived when you were babies! Isn't it cool?'" This is me now. I will never forget that week-end move either. I made the choice to help my daughter move, (even though they had 6 young guys ready to help), rather than spend the weekend at a music festival in the U.S. The results of my choice proved to be unexpected. It was a tough week-end for other reaons. It just happened to be the hottest day of the year, (around 95 degrees) with intense humidity. Oh, and did I mention the mosquitoes???????? arghhhhh. Eph 2:10 We are his workmanship (poiema, or poem, or work of art) created in Christ Jesus. God is an artist and you are His masterpiece! |
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 10/4/2008 2:05 pm |
A delightful read and it expresses my feelings about leaving the house where my babies were born and raised. I know your daughter will always cherish those house memories. Shalom, Brevie ...are we there yet? ... are we there yet? Hush my child. I will provide all your needs for the journey!
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9/13/2008 7:05 am |
Pretty Awesome story, I have been truly blessed all my life and have never REALLY had to start at the bottom. My mother and father built a house for us when I was really little. I grew up there, went through my parents divorce there, grew up with 2 step father's there. One alcoholic that was abusive to my mother and the one my mother is still married to. My current step father, TOTALLY GUTTED this house inside and out. Remodeled pretty much from the ground up BUT, it still held the SAME memories. My parents ended up moving to Florida to retire and my mother did not want to get rid of this house she had invested so much of her heart to. I was the ONLY child who did not already have a house at the time so, she had the house appraised. Each child got their share and I got the house. It was SO lovely. I continued to call it "Mom's house" after I bought it. People would say, Tonya it's NOT your mother's house anymore. I just could NOT accept it as MINE. I NEVER put any sweat and tears into that home. I got it for less than half the price, I should have paid for it and it just NEVER would have been MY HOME. I finally after 2 years asked my mother if it would upset her for me to sell it. I wanted to move here (to florida) with them. I was so glad when she said, Indiana is no longer home for me, I have accepted my new home in florida so, man I could'nt wait to sell it. After selling to this single guy, who I knew could not afford this place by himself and had to move all kinds of others in with him to make ends meet, my heart was TRULY saddened. My parents came back up to help me move to florida. That was TRULY the hardest day of my life. My sister already owned the house right next door. She had bought it years before and I know it had to sadden her also. Now when we go visit her, (I have only been back a couple times), I can NOT beleive my mom's old house. It is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE looking. The guy has moved so many different people in and out, he works so many hours a day to pay for it, he just let it run down hill. It looks like it has taken a real beating. The grass rarely gets cut, the shrubs are all overgrown, taking over the outside of the house. The flower bed in the back where there used to be gravel for pretty things to be put out is so overtaken with weeds, you would NEVER know there was ever gravel there. It's HORRIBLE!!! It literally makes me SICK. I can't stand to go back any more cause I can NOT stand to see it. I HAVE to focus on MY HOME here in florida. I have truly put lots of sweat and tears into this home and yet, if the opportunity came up for me to leave, I would do it all again. I LOVE my home here. It is TRULY the ONLY thing that keeps me here now BUT, it is not home until it is SHARED with someone and ONLY GOD knows when that will be. I try to count my MANY BLESSINGS and realize what God has done for me. Great post, Gary. May God Bless and Keep You, Tonya
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 9/11/2008 4:46 pm |
Beautiful Gary!!! All things work for the good of those who Love the Lord,  Jenn friend
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9/10/2008 11:54 am |
KINDA REMINDS ME OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE , WE LAUGH AND CRY AND FEEL LIKE WE WILL NEVER GET AHEAD, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN.... WE ARE MOVING FORWARD INTO SOMETHING NEW................ AND THANKING GOD FOR OUR HISTORY OF GROWTH.........
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9/10/2008 2:07 am |
wow Gary what an awesome life story. It gives a whole new perspective on our lives doesnt it. Good of you to help your daughter thru the process, Im sure she'll appreciate that  Luv is patient, kind, unselfish, hopes 4 the best...
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9/9/2008 7:28 pm |
Hi Gary, Your daughter writes beautifully! Loved this one! GBU From one bride to another, God keep you, bless you, increase you, Rhonda
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9/9/2008 7:16 pm |
. . .
. . . Without Absolute Truth, there are only lies disguised as truth, if you know not the Absolute Truth and it is NOT within you, you will embrace a relative truth that fits your eternity, that is presently before you. Continue to be faithful, deliverance is near, obedience must be seen, be an unconditional blessing as He continues to bless you. This time is short, serve Him well, serving all. Without exception. Know? Yes? ? .
Meow ? .
.
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9/9/2008 6:41 pm |
I loved this post- It reminds me of "This Ole House I live in" My Mom was born here in 1923 and it has been bought and sold so many times and yet I have my personal commitment to it since I bought it in 1982---I raised 2 sons here, lived a wonderful life with a man I adored and I consider selling and moving into something less- it is the MEMORIES that tugs at the heart........ AND the HEAT is ON high in Carolina....... Thanks for sharing===== This Ole house don't need no windows this ole house don't need no doors for surely HIS goodness and mercy will see me meet my Lord! Yesterday is past and gone, but tomorrow is forever.
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9/9/2008 6:17 pm |
Gary, your daughter has a wonderful gift, in that she writes beautifully! What awesome memories they will have for the rest of their lives. They can only look forward from here, making new memories in their new home! Thanks for sharing this, Gary!!  I will never leave you.....
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9/9/2008 5:32 pm |
Gary, that is such a tender and beautiful story. It sure makes the saying true, It's not JUST a house! It's a HOME! God bless you. Love you brother!  in your life means Jesus is in your heart. 
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